Russian President Putin, while attending an event on Friday, stated that the entire Ukraine is "ours," and warned that advancing Russian troops might occupy the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy as part of establishing a so-called buffer zone along the border.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Serhiychuk later condemned Putin's latest series of related remarks as evidence of Russia's "contempt" for American peace efforts, stating that Moscow is intent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. According to Reuters, Russian forces currently control about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, over 99% of Luhansk region, most of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, over 70% of Kherson region, as well as parts of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Putin also told Sky News Arabic in an interview that Ukraine must recognize the results of the referendums held in four new Russian regions. He was referring to the four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia during its invasion: Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Putin stated in the interview, "It is important to acknowledge these territories based on the will of their people, as this is what we call democracy. In this context, I believe Ukraine needs to recognize the results of the referendums held in the four known regions, which must be acknowledged as a fait accompli, because failing to do so would mean the possibility of renewed armed conflict."

The annexation of these four Ukrainian regions by Russia has not been recognized by the international community. The EU, the United States, and the UN have all stated that the referendums and annexations lack legal basis and validity. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution declaring Russia's so-called "referendums" and territorial annexations illegal and invalid under international law.

Putin also told Sky News Arabic that Ukraine should remain neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free. When asked about what political solutions Russia could accept, Putin said, "We believe it is necessary to return to the values upon which Ukraine was founded—namely neutrality, non-alignment, and nuclear-free status." Earlier, Putin had stated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Ukraine returning to its core values of sovereignty, including its non-aligned status, would be a good idea.

In the interview, Putin reiterated his demand to rid the Ukrainian leadership of what he termed "Nazis." Putin stated, "Our starting point is that all remnants of neo-Nazism within Ukraine will be eradicated... At the same time, humanitarian issues must naturally be addressed, involving the Russian language and the legitimate demands of those who wish and are prepared to establish relations with the Russian Federation."

Putin said on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Russian troops are not currently tasked with capturing Sumy, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out. Meanwhile, he pointed out that Russians and Ukrainians are essentially one nation. Putin told the conference, "I have said many times before that I consider the Russian people and the Ukrainian people to be essentially one nation. From this perspective, the whole of Ukraine is ours."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently dismissed this claim by Putin. Zelenskyy also emphasized that Putin's proposed peace conditions amount to surrender. Putin said that if there is to be any chance of peace, Moscow hopes Ukraine accepts the facts on the ground—that Russia currently controls Ukrainian territory larger than the U.S. state of Virginia. Putin stated in his speech, "We have an old... well, this isn't a proverb. It's not a fable. This is an old rule: Wherever Russian soldiers step, that place belongs to us."

In Kyiv, Serhiychuk wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, "Putin's cynical remarks show that he completely disregards American peace efforts. While the U.S. and the rest of the world call for an immediate end to the killing, the top war criminal of Russia is discussing plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians. However, among all of Putin's absurd statements today, the remark about Russian soldiers stepping on land is particularly striking. In fact, wherever Russian soldiers go, they bring death, destruction, and devastation."

Serhiychuk added, "Putin doesn't care about Russian soldiers or their feet torn apart by Ukrainian drones. He is a butcher slaughtering his own people. He has already slaughtered one million Russian soldiers in Ukraine's senseless massacres without achieving any strategic goals. One million soldiers. Two million feet."

Serhiychuk said, "While Putin is busy sending Russian troops to invade other countries, he has left Russians at home economically stranded. His cynical remarks have only one purpose: to divert attention from the complete failure of his quarter-century rule. This has brought Russia into the disreputable club of rogue regimes like North Korea and Iran, leading to international isolation and endless economic stagnation, which will only worsen further."

Serhiychuk pointed out, "The only way to force Russia to make peace is to deprive it of the sense of impunity. Strengthen support for Ukraine's defense, devastate Russia's economy with sanctions, designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, fully isolate Russia, and bring Moscow back to its senses."

In his late-night video address on Friday, Zelenskyy said, "Today, the Russians have once again openly and cynically declared that they 'have no mood' for a ceasefire. Russia wants to wage war. They even made some threats. This means that the pressure exerted by the world on them is not enough, or they are desperately maintaining appearances. Russia's economy is already on the verge of collapse. We will support this process even more. Ayatollah-Putin can look at his friends in Iran and see where such regimes ultimately lead, how they will bring their own countries to ruin."

Zelenskyy introduced that earlier, Ukrainian military commanders discussed actions in Sumy region in northern Ukraine, stating, "The Russians have various plans and intentions there—as always, absolutely insane. We are stopping them, eliminating these killers, and defending our Sumy region."

Source: ifi

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